Mr. Edward Magorium: [to Molly, about dying] When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written "He dies." That's all, nothing more. No fanfare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words. The culmination of the most influential work of dramatic literature is "He dies." It takes Shakespeare, a genius, to come up with "He dies." And yet every time I read those two words, I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know it's only natural to be sad, but not because of the words "He dies." but because of the life we saw prior to the words.
[pause, walks over to Molly]
Mr. Edward Magorium: I've lived all five of my acts, Mahoney, and I am not asking you to be happy that I must go. I'm only asking that you turn the page, continue reading... and let the next story begin. And if anyone asks what became of me, you relate my life in all its wonder, and end it with a simple and modest "He died."
Molly Mahoney: [starting to sob] I love you.
Mr. Edward Magorium: I love you, too.
[picks Molly up, sighs heavily]
Mr. Edward Magorium: Your life is an occasion. Rise to it.
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
That last line "Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." is a piece of advice we should reflect on every morning that we wake up to a new day. I was just thinking about this very thing last night before I drifted off to sleep. I know that I live my life well below what I am capable of. It is one of the reasons that I push myself so hard at the things I do and the sports I play. I am curious just how far I can go and how much I can do. And do you know what? I haven't found the limit yet.
And I bet that, if you really and truly look at your life, you would agree that you live well below your level of potential as well.
Why do we do this? Why do we have those moments of greatness and then settle back into living lives of mediocrity? I believe part of this is that it is a little uncomfortable for us and for those around us when we live out there on the edge. It is uncomfortable for us because we are living outside of our comfort zone. And nobody likes to be uncomfortable, do they? So we pull back before we can realize that if we just stayed out there a little bit longer, our comfort zone would have expanded to encompass where we were at.
It is uncomfortable for those around us because, when one of us strays from the "herd" of mediocrity, we become an automatic outcast. We open ourselves to ridicule and criticism by those who hang back with the rest of the "herd". We become one of those "weirdos" that are different from most everyone else. And there are few that are strong enough and confident enough to openly admit that, while it is nice and comfortable within the safety of the "herd", the grass is definitely greener and lusher where the lone "stray" has moved to.
If you want to see the gap between where you are now and where you potential lies narrow, I recommend that you memorize and short little saying that my mentor, Mike Litman, taught to me:
"In life, you're either consistent, or you're non-existent!"
Whatever you want to improve in life, you must consistently strive to improve upon. Moments of greatness do nothing for you. One great day does not make a great life any more than one great shot makes someone an incredible basketball player. If you want to lose weight, you must consistently eat right and exercise every day. If you want to learn to play a musical instrument, you must pick it up and practice every day. If you want to have a more loving relationship with your spouse and kids, you must consistently express your love in words and deeds every day. There isn't anything that you want more or better where this universal truth does not apply. Consistency is key!
But in order to establish a life of consistent greatness, you have to get started.
Your life is an occasion. What are you going to do today to rise to it?
No comments:
Post a Comment